Chapter 301: Tang Yuan's Boasting

A faint sound of wind rose.

Several figures moved without emitting any aura, yet they were still as swift as lightning.

Under Tang Yuan's lead, several Great Qian Grandmasters headed with clear purpose toward a certain location.

They were all cultivators whose cultivation suppressed the entire world.

Yet at this moment, their expressions were extremely solemn, eyes scanning all directions, ears listening to every sound.

Tang Yuan strained to catch every sound around him; suddenly he frowned, glanced back slightly, and said, "This has gone too far."

He too came from a humble background and knew how difficult it was for ordinary cultivators.

They were absolutely among the strongest with the best temper in the Transformation of Spirit Realm.

But that did not mean he could tolerate someone following at such close range while using various methods to conceal their aura; their sordid intentions were obvious. This was not merely wanting a sip of soup; they were practically rushing forward to snatch the pot and smash the bowls.

How could one conduct affairs like this!

"Could it be that, seeing no True Persons from Xuan Guang Cave or Mount Wutong on this journey, they look down on me, Tang?"

"Senior, calm your anger; the Year Fruit is paramount."

The others could only urge in low voices, "We have now entered the Demon Emperor's territory; extreme caution is required."

"..."

Tang Yuan took a deep breath; he was merely dissatisfied and had not thought of taking action or anything of the sort.

In the Thousand Demon Caves, there simply existed no safe place.

Even if his master, True Person Qingfeng, arrived personally, he would still have to conceal his aura and steady his spirit, acting carefully, for beyond the mountain there is always a higher mountain.

"How far is it from that cave residence fissure?"

"Nine hundred li."

Hou Wanhai, the cultivator with the highest cultivation among the Great Qian Grandmasters, took out a jade slip and carefully sensed it: "This information was exchanged for the lives of two of our Great Qian Grandmasters; it cannot be false. That cave residence will not open again for several hundred years; the Thousand Demon Caves should not be on guard."

"That is good."

Tang Yuan steadied his mind; even with his cultivation, it was best not to fight in the Thousand Demon Caves if it could be avoided.

"Although it is somewhat presumptuous, I still wish to ask one more question: Has Senior Tang's cultivation improved?" Hou Wanhai asked in a low voice.

Hearing this, Tang Yuan smiled: "Most demons beyond the fortieth cave are not my match; if I encounter the strongest Golden-Eyed Lion, with the treasure bestowed by my master, my life will be secure."

The Golden-Eyed Lion Emperor was the Demon Emperor of the forty-first cave.

It was a watershed; above it, no one could be defeated except a mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivator.

"Then we are relieved."

Hou Wanhai breathed a sigh of relief; the place they were going would not yet encounter such a powerful Demon Emperor.

"But to speak of it, it is strange."

He glanced around: "By all rights, with the fall of the Blood-Transformation Demon Emperor, the Thousand Demon Caves should have reacted; why is this time even quieter than before?"

"You need not ask that."

Tang Yuan obviously knew the inside story; the True Persons from Mount Wutong had not been dispatched for a long time; having finally come out to stretch their legs, the Thousand Demon Caves currently had no time to attend to other matters.

Having said that, the group fell silent.

They once again increased their speed of travel.

Soon, a small mountain peak appeared before everyone; strangely, a certain spot on its summit was bizarrely twisting.

This was the situation caused by a malfunction in the formation.

Such cave residences were countless within the Thousand Demon Caves; what the demons and human cultivators fought desperately to seize was precisely this seemingly insignificant information.

A single formation gap could very well be the opportunity for some faction to rise.

"Have you explored it?" Tang Yuan asked.

"No... last time we encountered demons; at the cost of losing two of our own, we barely escaped."

Before Hou Wanhai finished speaking, he noticed Tang Yuan's expression change slightly.

"Do you mean the demons also know of this gap?"

Seeing the group silently nod, Tang Yuan nearly laughed in anger: "Have you been ordered around by Xuan Guang Cave for so long that you no longer use your brains? How could such important information only be told to me now?"

Scolded once, Hou Wanhai awkwardly opened and closed his mouth: "My apologies."

What the other said, though harsh, was the truth.

Over these many years, they had grown accustomed to obeying orders; after all, no matter how clearly they thought, even if they knew the path beneath their feet led to death, as long as Xuan Guang Cave gave the order, they had no choice but to walk forward.

At this point, the group had almost forgotten whether they dared not resist because of Great Qian, or whether they had already lost the ability to resist and think.

"Enough."

Tang Yuan withdrew his gaze in displeasure and was too lazy to be angry with these people who were no different from "tools."

He descended to the mountain peak and confirmed he sensed no aura of demons.

Only then did he extend his hand toward that formation gap.

Ten.

Several Great Qian Grandmasters followed with guilt.

Just then, they discovered Tang Yuan's expression changed slightly, and his body remained where it was, unable to enter the cave residence as imagined.

"Fake! On guard!"

Tang Yuan roared, and his aura surged beneath his snow-white tight-fitting attire.

Overwhelming flames instantly spread out!

Almost at the same time, Jin Guang, as solid as a substance, shot forth from afar, directly shattering the wave of fire; Tang Yuan intended to withdraw his hand and counterattack, but he discovered that dark chains had coiled around the arm he had thrust into the formation gap.

He could only raise his left arm and, without thinking, struck out with a palm!

Thick waves of fire churned in the sky, likewise condensing into a palm a hundred zhang wide; even the patterns upon it were lifelike, instantly smashing forward!

Jin Guang tore across Tang Yuan's face, with molten lava flowing from the wounds.

Immediately, he swiftly slashed upward toward the sky!

He split that massive palm in two, yet it still could not stop the momentum of its crushing descent.

Boom—!

In an instant, most of Gaoshan was engulfed by a sea of fire.

"This..."

In the distance, Xu Wanyun slowly halted her steps, as if seeing the might of a Transformation of Spirit Realm expert in action for the first time; she stared blankly at Shen Yi beside her: "Can you truly participate in such a battle?"

"Is this an array?"

Shen Yi did not pay her any mind, but instead looked toward A Qing.

If his memory served, he seemed to have seen a similar description in the initial explanation of arrays.

"Brother Shen is so amazing; this is the Xu family's Netherworld Dragon-Locking Array..."

After A Qing spoke, she suddenly looked forward in astonishment: "How can the Xu family's array be in the Thousand Demon Cave?"

As if responding to her words.

From within the waves of fire, two figures slowly stepped out.

In front was a majestic lion demon eight zhang tall, its pair of eyes resembling gilded jade treasures.

Behind it was a withered, emaciated old man in tattered robes, his entire body covered in arrays that supported his standing posture.

"How does it taste?"

The Golden-Eyed Lion Emperor paced through the air, sneering: "This Emperor shall also make use of your trinkets."

Flames rose in Tang Yuan's eyes, and combined with the gash on his face, the whole man looked utterly ferocious.

His entire right arm was tightly bound by chains, which were still extending toward his shoulder.

That was not a flaw in the array at all, but a trap deliberately left by another great formation.

Tang Yuan slowly adjusted his breathing; as if provoked by the pain, he split his lips open to reveal fang-like white teeth: "With just one hand, this Seat may well still be able to slay you."

(End of this chapter)